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Nemedian
Overview Nemedia is the second great kingdom of the Hyborians, technologically and economically superior to the other Hyborian nations save Aquilonia. Nemedia’s culture is similar to Aquilonia’s, although the Nemedians emphasise feudal bonds more and personal freedoms less. Still, Nemedia is well regarded for scholastic and intellectual freedom for the greatest historians, the most famous philosophers and the pinnacle of powerful orators in the West are Nemedians. Nemedia’s population exceeds twenty million people. Recent tax collector statistics show Nemedia has 25,723 villages, 243 towns and 45 full-fledged cities. Nemedia is an ancient kingdom, proud of its cultured sophistication and civilised traditions. Although settled by the Hyborians, three thousand years ago this was the land of Acheron and traces of Acheronian blood flow through many of the veins of Nemedian Hyborians. The hills of Nemedia still hold groups of people who boast of their Acheronian descent. Unique Justice System Nemedia has a civilised court system that is complex in its attempts to be just. The courts in the cities are called Courts of Justice, where sit judges appointed by the ruling nobles. A higher court exists in Belverus with judges appointed by the king. This higher court hears larger cases of national jurisdiction. The Courts of Justice maintain Inquisitional Councils to investigate crimes and carry out the duties of prosecution. The police, in turn, serve the Inquisitional Councils and are virtually all-powerful in their duties. Few Nemedians would dare to resist a member of the police. They are well known for beating and torturing commoners to gain confessions if necessary. One gouged out a girl’s eye in court because she would not incriminate her lover. The courts are harsh, though they try to make the punishments fit the crimes and make restitutions as fair as possible. Also, the courts will attempt to exonerate the innocent if the guilty can be found. Unfortunately, if the guilty cannot be found, sometimes the innocent must suffer so that at least the illusion of justice is served. Those who cannot pay their debts may find themselves sold into slavery, along with their families if the debt is high enough, to raise the revenues necessary to pay creditors. Debt slaves are branded on the shoulder, preventing them from ever again entering free society. The law is explicit in other ways as well. The murder of a commoner sends the killer to the mines; intentionally causing the death of a tradesman sends the assassin to the gallows and the slaying of a rich man calls for burning at the stake. Attempted theft merits ten years of hard labour at the mines. The Nemedians are civilised enough to submit to the police and the courts and their cruelties are accepted as necessary. Posh, Charismatic and a Proud People As a civilised nation, Nemedian citizens guild their words in honeyed phrases, veiling their meanings to preserve a sense of respectability and etiquette. Those who do not conform to conservative Nemedians’ sense of good manners are disliked and may be treated with varying levels of hostility (dependent perhaps on the Charisma of the offending party and the importance of the offended party). People who ask questions too directly are not likely to find the answers they seek. The challenge in Nemedia is to properly present oneself, to show that co-operation is returned in kind. (Note: They tend to act like snobby douche-bags XD). Clothing Nemedian commoners wear coarse, knee-length shirts corded about the waist with rope. Merchants wear togas and robes. Servants wear woollen clothing: long belted tunics for the men, embroidered blouses and woollen skirts for the girls. The nobility typically wear cavalry boots, fur or leather kilts and pleated silk shirts. The priests wear silken robes. Nemedians take pride in their culture and never dress outside of their station. Social Standing Although Nemedia does not have castes in the sense that Vendhya does, the citizens do have a sense of class and status. Nemedia is strict in its feudal hierarchies and each citizen knows his place on that complex schedule of servants and masters, duties and privileges. Citizens are constantly, although largely subconsciously, aware of rank and station. Artisans, for example, are beneath the wealthy merchants and traders. Nobles, who are descended from noble blood-lines, are on the highest tiers of society. Noble status is required for most offices of state. Only those of noble lineage may serve on the Courts of Justice. The heads of the Inquisitional Councils are also of noble birth. Highranking military positions are also reserved for the nobility and only nobles may become knights, who offer protection to all Nemedian citizens regardless of rank. Chains of command, processional order and heraldry are all second nature to the cultured Nemedians. Above all is a reverence for noble blood and royal prerogative. It is unlikely the Nemedians would ever sponsor a royal coup as the Aquilonians did when Conan led the revolt against Numedides. Such a thing would be uncivilised. When Tarascus desired the throne of King Numa, the king and his sons had to die naturally so his ascension would be unopposed. The Nemedians who resurrected Xaltotun in the Hour of the Dragon did not want to see Nemedia torn apart by strife. This respect for noble blood is, in part, the reason the Nemedians so strongly object to King Conan’s reign in Aquilonia. Beneath the commoners and the serfs, who are still free, are the slaves. Laws prohibit the harsh treatment of slaves; after all, Nemedia is not Zingara, where slaves in the field are beaten with whips. Nemedia recognises that a welltreated slave is less likely to rise up in revolt. Rebellions by slaves are not uncommon during the Hyborian Age but few uprisings are recorded in Nemedia, where many slaves would refuse freedom if it were offered to them. Who would feed and shelter them if they were freed? Nay, Nemedia is a civilised land and the people of that land know their place in the feudal hierarchy. There is a measure of safety in the stability of Nemedia’s social structures. (Note: Best way for those to change social classes is through arranged marriages, normally the girl would be married off, so the men were out of luck, in moving up, unless they became scholars, or over-all just famous in their society). Women As the culture, military and clothing of Nemedia is heavily based of the Ancient Roman time period, their treatment of women follows on the same path. In many cases Nemedian women were closely identified with their perceived role in society - the duty of looking after the home and to nurture a family, in particular, to bear legitimate children, a consequence of which was an early marriage, (sometimes even before puberty but typically around 20 years old), in order to ensure the woman had no sexual history which might embarrass the future husband. Nemedian society was male dominated,The household was no different,, typically headed by the most senior male figure . Women were subordinate. Within the family women would attend to the home and its slave workforce, work on handicrafts, and upper class females might also study academic subjects such as literature and philosophy. This close dependence of women on their male relatives was also reflected in such matters as law and finance where women were legally obliged to have a nominated male family member act in their interests. However, in actual practice families may not always have followed the letter of the law in this area, just as with many other matters, and there is evidence of women running their own financial affairs, owning businesses, running estates etc., especially in cases where the principal male of the family had died on military campaign. Of course like many nations and cultures' In Robert E. Howards, world, Nemedia was male dominated. Women were not permitted to serve in the military, as men viewed them as weak, and incapable. Of course it's stated above they were not allowed to own property, run businesses or even speak in public masses (Of course there can be a few exceptions). Military Nemedia maintains a powerful army composed of its noble knights and heavy cavalry. Infantry are considered fodder for archers; it is not an honourable field of military service. Most of the infantry are commoners that are given minimal training. They are easily demoralised in combat. The Nemedian army favours a standard formation for Hyborian hosts. The centre, which is made up of heavily armoured knights, is the strongest section. The wings are composed of lesser cavalry units, largely composed of Adventurers (see below) that are supported by infantry conscripts and arbalesters. The wings move in advance of the centre. The arbalesters unleash their deadly bolts and the trained infantry quickly move in afterward. The cavalry units move in next, followed by the knights on their massive horses. Religion Despite the rigid control the feudal system has in Nemedia, with its strict laws and intense law enforcement, Nemedia is far more tolerant of alternative religions than Aquilonia. Likely this is because of Nemedia’s scholastic nature and the crown’s endorsement of philosophical thought. Thus, in Nemedia, a wide range of religious beliefs can be found across the length and breadth of the nation. (Note:Some other religions are said to be the following of Ishtar, and Set all though, these two religions are said to be for the more deviant, yet tolerant side of Nemedia. Followers of Ishtar would be prostitutes and other aspects of that profession. Followers of Set, would most likely be in cults).